KVr.  I*'”'®” 

RELIGIOUS  CONDITIONS  ^ 
IN  PORTO  RICO 


MISSIONS  IN  PORTO  RICO 

By  Rev.  Thomas  Moody  Corson 
Humacao,  Porto  Rico 

TKe  BlancKe  Kellogg  Institute  at  Santurce,  San  Juan 

By  A.  G.  Axtell,  Principal 


Ampriran  miaaiDnary  Aaaoriatinn 

287  FOURTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK  CITY.  N.  Y. 


DISTRICT  OFFICES: 

EASTERN  DISTRICT:  WESTERN  DISTRICT : PACIFIC  DISTRICT: 

615  Congregational  House.  19  South  La  Salle  Street.  21  Brenham  Place. 

Boston,  Mass.  Chicago,  III.  San  Francisco,  Cal. 


RELIGIOUS  CONDITIONS  IN  PORTO  RICO 


The  Federation 

of  Evangelical 
Churches  in  Porto 
Rico  held  its  Fifth 
Biennial  Association 
at  Aricieho  last  iJe- 
ceinber  when  it  ap- 
])eared  that  organ- 
ized churches  have 
been  increased  by  22 
in  the  last  two  years. 
They  numljer  now 
about  20S.  The 
church  buildings  and 
chapel  s were  in- 
creased 30,  making  a 
total  1)  e y o n d 260. 
Ifvery  town  is  occu- 
pied, and  practically 
all  important  centers 
are. 

Church  member- 
shi]j  has  increased 
less  rapidly  owing  to 
a weeding-out  pro- 
cess and  the  high 
standards  of  mem- 
bership now  re- 
quired. The  total 
membership  of  the 
various  protestant 
bodies  in  Porto  Rico 
in  full  connection  now 
approximates  12,000. 


• 

All  reports  agree  that  our  evangelical  work  is  developing  wider  oppor- 
tunities. Communities  fornierlv  indifferent  or  ojiposed,  now  seek  protestant 
services.  The  rural  e.xtension  work  is  es])ecially  gratifying,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  its  history — after  400  veaivs — the  Roman  Catholic  Church  has 
begun  to  build  rural  chapels.  This  reversal  of  the  policy  of  centuries  is 
directly  due  to  protestant  example. 

All  missions  rejiort  encouraging  and  sometimes  extraordinary  gains  in 
the  direction  of  self-siqiport.  Churches  that  formerly  paid  with  difficulty 
for  the  mere  lighting  ami  heating  of  the  buildings,  now  bear  an  appreciable 
part  in  the  pastor’s  support,  and  give  largely  for  missions. 

A notable  feature  of  the  material  advance  of  the  work  is  that  church 
buildings  and  parsonages  being  erected  in  the  more  important  centers  are 
almost  universallv  of  high  (jualitv,  both  architecturally  and  in  adaptation  of 
the  building  to  the  work.  The  United  Brethren  have  acquired  a Alission 
Headquarters  at  Ponce,  the  iMethodists  apjiear  to  be  spending  about  $20,000 
a year  for  permanent  imi)rovements,  parsonages  of  good  quality  are  also 


being  erected  and  tlie  protestant  work  in  general  is  well  on  the  way  to 
being  permanently  and  fittingly  housed. 

L’nusnally  significant  gains  in  the  field  of  education  have  mark'ed  the 
past  two  years,  in  which  each  of  the  larger  denominations  share.  The 
Methodists  have  developed  their  Industrial  and  Training  school  at  llattillo, 
with  a S 16,000  building,  and  34  Ijoys  enrolled  at  the  time  of  the  last  printed 
report.  The  Baptists  have  operated  their  Training  School  in  rented  quarters 
at  Kio  Fiedras,  with  Academic  work  related  to  the  University  of  Forto 
Rico,  enrolling  sixteen  pupils.  It  has  chosen  a site  for  a prospective 
$18,000  building.  A Girls'  School  is  expected  to  lie  established  in  some- 
what similar  relations  to  the  University  under  indei)endent  auspices.  lu 
Presbvterian  territory  and  closely  associated  with  Fresbyterian  interests, 
is  the  Folytechnic  Institute  of  Forto  Rico  at  Sau  ( ierman.  This  institution 
has  opened  most  auspiciously,  and  will  serve  the  Freslwterian  United  Breth- 
ren fields  in  the  general  vocational  lines  of  education  of  High  School 
grades,  while  the  special  training  of  Christian  workers  is  carried  on  in 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  iMayaguez. 


A.  M.  A.  CHURCH,  FA.TARDO 

The  Coiigrcgafioiialists  have  considerably  enlarged  their  school  at  San- 
tiirce,  and  have  given  it  a more  definite  character  of  the  S fanish-Anierican 
institute  largely  patronized  by  the  wealthier  classes  and  volunteers  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  City. 

d he  weeding-out  process  which  has  been  applied  to  church  membership, 
has  been  even  more  stringent  as  applied  to  native  Christian  workers  and  in 
preparation  for  the  ministry.  Academic  standards  in  the  Theological  schools 
have  been  raised,  and  a stronger  type  of  native  workers  should  soon  be 
forthcoming. 

iMedical  Missions  have  advanced  less  rapidly  than  could  be  wished. 
1 he  United  Brethren  are  ha])])y  in  finding  Christian  jiliysicians  from  the 
States  for  their  two  dispensaries.  The  Fresb\'terian  husjjital  in  San  juan 
has  continued  its  unrivalled  service,  but  has  so  far  failed  to  secure  its 
greatly  needed  new  building.  All  denominations  are  greatly  indebted  to 
this  hospital  in  behalf  of  their  missionaries,  as  well  as  all  Porto  Rican 
people.  A Presbyterian  Hospital  is  under  erection  in  Alayaguez  also. 


I'he  Congregationalists  have  temporarily  discontinued  medical  work 
in  the  conviction  that  it  cannot  he  satisfactorily  carried  on  without  jjroper 
facilities,  hut  funds  are  now  in  hand  for  a si)ecial  medical  huilding  for  resi- 
dence and  dispensary  purposes,  to  be  located  somewhere  on  the  Humacao 
Held. 

Ifncouraging  ])rogress  in  temperance  organizations  is  reported  from 
several  ()uarters,  and  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  under  the  American 
Bil)le  Society  has  greatly  increased. 

As  the  children  of  twelve  years  of  Evangelical  work  have  grown  into 
young  manhood  and  womanhood,  the  more  complete  organization  of  church 
life  is  natural,  and  gains  in  Christian  Endeavor  and  other  young  people’s 
organizations  are  reported  on  all  hands.  The  Evangelical  publications  of 
the  various  missions  have  steadily  gained  in  quality  and  circulation  and 
constitute  a strong  adjunct  of  the  work. 

In  the  establishment  of  a 
joint  periodical  by  the  Presby- 
terian, E'nited  Brethren  and 
Congregational  ^Missions,  we 
have  the  PUERTO  RICO 
E\'AX(  iELICf-),  a 16-page 
semi-monthly,  of  high  quality, 
pul'dished  l)y  a hoard  represent- 
ing the  three  missions,  with 
headquarters  in  Ponce. 

The  plan  for  making  the 
Presbyterian  Seminary  at  Slaya- 
guez  a joint  institution  of  the 
Presbyterian  and  United  Breth- 
ren has  l)een  carried  out  satis- 
factorily. The  Congregational- 
ists,  who  were  also  included  in 
the  earlier  negotiations,  count 
themselves  unable  to  enter  into 
formal  relations  in  this  project 
owing  to  the  long  distance  be- 
tween their  held  and  that  of  the  other  bodies.  They  are,  however,  using  the 
Alayaguez  Seminary  for  the  training  of  such  ministerial  candidates  as  are 
prepared  to  enter. 


A.  ,M.  A.  CHURCH,  HUMACAO 


^ ^ 

MISSIONS  IN  PORTO  RICO 

By  Rev.  Thomas  Moody  Corson,  Humacao,  Porto  Rico 

The  needs  of  the  missionary  held  are  always  so  vividly  present  to  the 
workers  there,  that  they  sometimes  dwell  upon  them,  and  neglect  to 
tell  of  the  encouraging  and  beautiful  things  in  their  work.  This  must  not, 
however,  lead  one  to  forget  how  much  encouragement  is  also  to  be  found 
in  the  work,  and  how  much  is  actually  being  accomplished.  In  writing  of 
Porto  Rico,  therefore,  I wish  to  speak  of  some  of  its  delights  as  well  as 
its  needs. 

For  example,  the  climate  is  far  from  what  many  people  expect  of  the 
tropics.  For  several  months  of  every  year  the  daytime  temperature  is  about 


70°,  and  the  nights  are  cooler.  The  very  hottest  days  are  not  so  hot  as  tliose 
which  we  sometimes  have  in  Boston  or  New  ork.  In  the  hot  season  in 
Porto  Rico,  the  temperature  seldom  rises  al)Ove  p5°  in  the  shade.  People 
from  the  north,  however,  usually  need  to  return  to  the  States  every  year 
or  two  for  a taste  of  the  more  bracing  atmosphere  of  the  North. 


The  scenery  in  Porto  Rico — the  mountains  with  gorges  deep — cut  by 
the  swiftly-tlowing  torrents  of  the  rainy  seasons,  the  valleys  with  their  level 
lowlands,  covered  with  sugarcane  or  perhaps  tobacco  or  pinea])])les,  the  soft 
tints  of  the  tropical  skies,  against  which  stand  out  in  sharp  relief  the  waving 
fronds  of  the  cocoannt  and  royal  palms — all  this  is  very  beautiful,  a 
constant  delight. 

And  in  some  of  the  straw- 


thatched  huts  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  the  missionary  is  cor- 
dially welcomed.  There  are  points 
in  our  Congregational  territory 
four  miles  or  more  from  the  near- 
est church.  In  several  of  these  we 
have  services  more  or  less  fre- 
quently, at  stated  intervals,  but  in 
others  we  can  preach  only  occa- 
sionally and  in  some  places  very 
seldom.  The  people  at  these  points, 
however,  are  not  only  willing  to 
listen  to  the  preacher,  but  are  anx- 
ious to  have  him  come  to  them 
often. 


Rven  a Roman  Catholic  fam- 
ily that  lives  about  two  miles  from 
the  nearest  church,  has  often  in- 
vited me  to  come  out  there  to 
preach  to  them.  ( In  two  occasions 
when  I have  been  there,  they  have 
sent  out  to  invite  their  neighbors, 
so  that  I have  had  about  twenty 
Roman  Catholics  present  at  the 
service,  in  addition  to  protestants 
who  went  with  me. 

As  a result  of  such  services 
held  by  a former  missionary.  Rev. 

Otto  Scheibe,  in  the  hills  more  than  four  miles 
about  a dozen  members  from  that  neighborhood. 


KEV.  T.  M.  COKSOX 
Uninapao,  Porto  l\i(‘o 


from  the  Ilnmacao  church, 
joined  the  church.  One  of 


these  is  almost  never  absent  from  church  on  Sunday  morning,  even  though 


on  some  occasions  the  mud  will 
part  of  his  four-mile  walk. 


be  more  than  a foot  deei)  for  the  greater 


Thus  one  may  see  that  a great  op])ortunity  and  privilege  as  well  as  a 
great  responsibility  is  presented  to  us.  The  Congregational  denomination  is 
responsible  for  work  among  a population  of  more  than  (Si,ooo.  To  do 
this  work  we  now  have  eleven  organized  churches,  and  a few  organized 
Sunday-schools  at  points  where  we  have  no  churches  as  yet,  one  day 
school,  a settlement  house,  and  several  preaching  stations,  with  three  mis- 
sionary superintendents,  one  lady  missionary,  several  teachers,  and  eight 
native  workers.  Most  of  our  work  is  among  the  poorer  classes,  although 


it  is  not  exclusively  so.  And  as  in  the  earthly  life  of  our  Master,  the  poor 
people  heard  him  gladly,  so  now  in  Porto  Rico  the  poor  people  to  whom 
religion  has  not  yet  brought  comfort  and  inspiration,  are  eager  to  hear 
from  the  protestant  missionaries  the  good  tidings  of  salvation. 

THE  BLANCHE  KELLOGG  INSTITUTE 
AT  SANTURCE,  SAN  JUAN 

A.  G.  Axtell,  Principal 

IF  the  American  IMissionary  Association  follows  the  flag,  which  it  does, 
even  taking  the  flag  to  new  places  on  its  own  initiative,  it  follows  or 
takes  it  into  strange  places ; into  what  are  essentially  foreign  lands.  As 
examples,  we  know  of  Hawaii,  of  Alaska  and  Porto  Rico. 


BO.VXCHE  KEirLOCift  TXSTTTUTE  AXT)  CHAPEL 


Porto  Rico  is  essentially  foreign ; it  is  “occupied"  indeed  by  the  Ameri- 
can government,  and  by  those  representing  it  ; and  it  is  to  an  extent  pos- 
sessed by  x\mericans  and  those  of  other  nationalities,  but  in  every  essential, 
of  native  language,  of  customs,  of  modes  of  thought,  of  religion,  Porto 
Rico  is  yet  Spanish  to  such  a large  extent  that  missions  in  this  Island  are 
essentially  foreign  missions.  They  have  to  do  with  the  native  population, 
who  have  been  molded  out  of  various  origins  in  the  mold  of  Spanish  govern- 
ment, education  and  religion. 

A school  of  any  type,  whether  public  or  private,  whether  governmental 
or  mission,  must  be  Spanish-American,  if  it  is  to  meet  the  needs  and  foster 
the  interests  of  those  who  constitute  the  rising  generation,  whether  rich  or 
poor,  high  or  low,  prominent  or  obscure. 


The  Blanche  Kellogg  Institute,  at  Santurce,  is  constituted  as  a mission- 
ary educational  institution  to  meet  the  needs  of  all  classes ; it  is  engaged  in 
the  solution  of  the  exceedingly  difficult  problem  of  ministering  to  all  classes. 
It  is  missionary,  evangelical,  in  the  midst  of  a Catholic  people,  it  is  an 
educational  institution,  and  more;  it  is  a religious  institution.  It  has  a 
school,  a social  settlement,  and  a church.  The  school  is  not  divorced  from 
religion,  nor  the  settlement  separated  from  education;  and  the  church 
is  the  crown  of  its  endeavor  to  serve  in  the  name  of  the  Master ; to  bring 
into  the  darkness  the  Light  of  the  world. 

It  is  best  to  think  of  the  Blanche  Kellogg  Institute  as  consisting  of  two 
departments,  one  educational,  the  other  evangelical.  The  educational  depart- 
ment as  now  constituted  is  what  has  been  known  as  the  pay  department ; 
it  is  for  those  who  are  able  to  pay  a part  of  the  expense  of  their  education. 
The  social  settlement  is  both  educational  and  evangelical,  but  we  class  it 
with  the  evangelical  department  of  work,  for  evangelical  endeavors  are 
closely  linked  with  all  its  activities. 

Educationally,  the  Institute  is  doing  work  extending  through  the  eight 
grades  of  primary  education,  and  two  high  school  or  secondary  education 
grades,  on  the  line  of  preparation  for  college.  It  affords  music  in  a regu- 
larly graded  system  throughout ; it  offers  private  lessons  in  music.  And 
what  would  be  absolutely  unique  in  education  in  the  States,  it  offers  Spanish 
in  all  the  grades  and  the  high  school  course ; so  that  a student  finishing 
the  course  here  would  be  able  to  command  a good  position  in  a school  or 
even  a college  offering  Spanish ; since  he  receives  here  a course  of  ten 
years  in  Spanish,  extending  not  only  into  the  grammar  and  rhetoric  of 
the  language,  but  into  its  literature  as  well.  Ami  if  he  is  natively  Spanish 
or  Portorican,  as  the  majority  of  our  students  are,  there  could  be  no 
question  about  his  accent.  Besides  the  emphasis  laid  on  music  and  Spanish, 
by  means  of  the  commercial  department  special  attention  is  given  to 
mathematics,  the  course  being  shaped  from  the  seventh  grade  to  meet  com- 
mercial requirements ; then  continued  beyond  the  eighth  grade  in  regular 
commercial  lines.  By  means  of  thus  specializing  we  are  laying  the  founda- 
tion for  a Spanish-American  School  of  Languages  and  Commerce,  the 
sort  of  school  which,  if  properly  capitalized  and  managed,  should  attract 
students  not  only  from  the  Island  but  also  from  the  States  of  North  and 
South  America. 

The  teachers  employed  at  the  Institute  have  always  done  more  or  less 
of  what  is  known  as  settlement  work.  Yet  this  work  has  been  heretofore 
secondary  to  the  educational  features.  Now  we  are  making  it  the  leading 
feature  of  the  free  department.  Our  aim  is  to  develop  a settlement  which 
shall  have  for  its  main  object  and  line  of  effort,  home-making  and  home- 
keeping. Under  the  efficient  leadership  of  Miss  Fairbanks,  we  have  already 
organized  a Village  Improvement  Society,  a Mothers’  Society,  a Children’s 
Society,  and  a Bible-study  Class.  A Chorus  also  meets  every  week,  under 
the  instruction  of  Miss  Ulmer,  our  teacher  of  music. 

On  the  last  day  of  1912,  our  new  church  was  organized,  with  a member- 
ship of  twenty-three,  nineteen  of  whom  were  received  on  confession  of 
faith.  In  this  we  had  the  indispensable  aid  of  our  Superintendents  from 
our  mission  centers,  Fajardo  and  Humacao,  Rev.  Mr.  Corwin  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Corson.  In  connection  with  the  organization  was  held  our  first  annual 
conference,  to  which  came  delegates  and  native  workers  from  all  our 
churches.  Also  a fellowship  service  was  held,  in  which  representatives 


from  llio  (jtliLT  churclies  of  San  Juan  and  cmvirons  came  and  gave  us 
greetings  and  good  wishes. 

( )ur  purely  evangelical  work  consists  of  our  Sunday-school,  our  neigh- 
borhood service  on  the  "IMelilla” — a section  near  us  in  which  we  are 
esi)ecially  interested — cnir  evening  service  of  ])reaching  in  S])anish,  very 
hel])ful  and  important  aijd  our  1 !ihle-stud_v  class;  together  with  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  jiastor  and  visitors,  and  ( we  must  clearly  count  these)  the 
marriage  service  and  the  funeral.  Both  these  services  have  been  rare  here ; 
we  are  making  them  more  common,  and  thus  bringing  the  blessing  of  the 
Saviour  upon  most  sacred  and  solemn  occasions,  which  have  too  often 
been  occasions  of  hilarity  or  unmitigated  grief. 

The  problem  of  the  best  method  of  service  to  the  people  of  Porto 
Rico  has  perhaps  not  yet  been  solved ; yet  we  believe  we  are  at  work  on 
lines  which  must  bring  large  l)lessing  upon  them.  \\’e  have  yet  to  hear 
any  criticism  of  our  social  settlement  ideas  and  methods,  while  on  the  other 
hand  we  hear  many  words  of  un(|ualified  approval.  ^Missionaries,  men  of 
business,  the  Commissioner  of  h'ducation,  the  Ciovernor  of  Porto  Rico, 
all  commend  our  scheme  of  help  in  the  line  of  home-making  and  home- 
keeping. It  has  been  our  own  view  that  a settlement  without  a church  is 
incomplete ; indeed  that  it  lacks  the  vital  element.  M’e  therefore  organized 
the  church,  and  in  this  we  have  the  approval  of  many  who  are  alike 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  those  who  live  on  this  Island,  our  own  con- 
sciences, and,  we  believe,  of  the  Master  himself.  We  have  a number  of 
candidates  for  the  next  communion.  W'e  trust  also  that  our  present  work 
and  our  developing  plans  will  meet  the  approval  of  the  members  of  the 
Churches,  Sunday-schools  and  Endeavor  Societies  of  our  own  faith  and 
order  throughout  the  States.  And  if  this  article  shall  inspire  its  readers 
to  offer  a prayer  for  Cod’s  continued  blessing  upon  our  work  we  shall  be 
encouraged:  if  among  the  many  cvhom  we  know  and  the  many  more  whom 
we  do  not  know  some  shall  find  time  to  write  us  a word,  or  turn  some 
offering  in  our  direction,  we  shall  be  glad  and  grateful. 


